Christmas Tree String Art
This Christmas tree string art is SO PRETTY! Celebrate the joy of Christmas with this DIY string art sign that glows with real twinkle lights. It’s so magical looking!
This string art Christmas tree is such a fun piece of holiday decor, and you can make it using our free printable Christmas tree string art template! It looks great decorating the mantle, and it’s super easy to make!
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DIY Christmas Tree String Art
Materials:
- FREE Printable Christmas Tree String Art Template
- 3/4 inch thick wood board(8 x 12 inches)
- Wire nails
- White LED string lights(battery operated)
- 3skeinsGreen embroidery floss
- 1skeinBrown embroidery floss
- 1skeinYellow embroidery floss(or gold)
Instructions:
Step 1: Find what you need
- Gather your supplies and materials.
Step 2: Add the template to the wood
- Print off the free Christmas tree string art template (find the link in the list of supplies above!).Cut out the shape roughly, leaving a small border outside of the shape.
- Tape the Christmas tree to the center of your wood board to keep it in place.You can use plain wood, or stain your wood ahead of time like we did.
Step 3: Hammer in the nails and remove the template
- Hammer in the nails around the outside of the Christmas tree so they’re sticking out about 1/2 inch above the wood.If you’re using the template, add the nails on the marked spots. Otherwise, add nails every 1/2 to 3/4 inch, keeping them a fairly even distance apart.
- Continue, adding nails all around the outside of the Christmas tree, star and tree trunk.Make any final adjustments, checking that the nails are fairly straight and evenly hammered into the wood.
- Rip off the Christmas tree template from the board. Try to remove as much of the paper as possible.Use tweezers to pull out any small pieces that remain.
Step 4: Add the string lights
- Start winding the battery operated LED string lights approximately 12 inches from the battery pack. (Make sure there’s enough cord to hide the battery pack behind the board). You don’t want to start winding from the very end of the string lights because it’s hard to predict where the lights will end.
- Wind the lights around a nail at the base of the tree. For our string art, we chose to cover the tree only, leaving the trunk and star unlit.
- Bring the lights across the tree, going back and forth horizontally.
- Take the lights to the top of the tree and then zig zag back and forth in different directions, covering the tree until you run out of lights.Tuck the end of the lights between other strands to keep it in place.
Step 5: Add string to the Christmas tree trunk
- Start by tying the brown embroidery floss to one of the bottom nails in a double knot.Leave 1 to 2 inches of string on the end.
- Begin weaving the string around the trunk, going back and forth between nails.
- Continue adding the brown string until you’ve made a few layers and the trunk is well covered.
Step 6: Add a border to the tree trunk
- Begin making a border by going around the outside of the trunk.Go counterclockwise around the trunk, wrapping the thread counterclockwise around each nail as you go.
- Once the whole trunk has an outside border, go back around the trunk in a clockwise direction on the inside of the nail.Continue to wrap the string counterclockwise around each nail as you go.
- Once you’ve finished the border, tie the string to the starter thread in a double knot.
- Cut off the excess string.
Step 7: Add green string to the tree
- Now we’re going to cover the tree with green embroidery floss.Tie the green string to one of the outside nails at the bottom of the tree. Again, leave an inch or two extra at the end.
- Weave the string back and forth, going up the tree just like you did with the lights. You may want to loop the string around the nails in some places to keep the string in place.
- Begin weaving back and forth across the tree.Go over sections, overlapping the previous thread as you go from side to side at different angles, creating a few layers of string.
- Continue going across the tree with green until your whole skein is used up. Try to end where you began and tie the last bit of string to the starting thread.
- As you add more thread you’ll need to push down on the string and the lights to make room for more layers of string.
Step 7: Use more green string to cover the tree
- Tie a new piece of string onto the tree and continue going back and forth across the tree until you’re happy with how it looks.
- Make a border around the tree, just like you did with the trunk. Remember to go around both the inside and outside of the nails.
- Turn on the lights to check that you’re happy with the lights-to-string ratio and how the string art tree looks.
- Add more string if you’d like. Then tie off and cut the string.
Step 8: Add string to the star
- Tie a metallic gold or yellow string to the top nail of the star, leaving a tail. Wind the string around the nails making up the star, going back and forth.
- Make a border around the star, again on the inside and outside of the nails like on the tree and trunk.
- If you see any gaps, go back and forth across the star a few more times. Then tie off the string at the top.
- Trim off any excess string by the knots, on the star, tree, and trunk.
- Your Christmas tree string art is complete!
- Stain or paint your wood for a nicely finished board. Make sure the stain is completely dry before hammering in the nails.
- If you’re worried about hitting your fingers, or if you need to add a nail in a small spot where your fingers don’t reach, use pliers to hold the nail in place while you’re hammering.
- Hammer the nails in on the ground or another steady surface. Your table will shake, and possibly move around, as you add the nails into the wood.
- Use a piece of wood that’s at least 1/2 inch thick or, ideally, the same thickness as your nails are long. This will prevent the nails from sticking out the back of the board.
Download our free Christmas tree string art template:
Click on the link or image below to download our free, printable Christmas tree string art template! The PDF file will open in a new window. Then simply print the template onto regular 8.5 x 11 (letter size) paper.
This template is sized for a 8 x 12 inch board. If your board is a different size, scale the template larger or smaller while printing to fit your board. We recommend leaving at least 1/2 inch of space between the outer nails and the outside edges of your board.
>>> Christmas Tree String Art Template <<<
What type of string is used for making string art?
We use embroidery floss to make our string art. It has a clean look, and there’s a huge selection of colours available.
But you can use any type of string that’s thin enough to be wound around the nails. Try using thin jute twine, crochet cotton, 2mm macrame cord, or even coloured baker’s twine.
You can also use regular yarn. With thicker string like this you may want to space the nails a bit further apart. Longer nails are also a good idea when using yarn, because the wider the yarn, the more height it will take up as it’s wound around the nails.
What type of lights are used for this Christmas tree string art?
We used battery operated white LED string lights from the dollar store to decorate our Christmas tree string art. The lights look so pretty shining and sparkling through the string!
You can also use coloured string lights to add pops of colour to the string art.
How do you hide the battery pack?
We taped the battery pack to the back of our string art which still let us easily turn the lights on and off. The widest point on our tree is about 1/2 inch from the edge of our board. We wrapped the wire around to the back, and you can barely see it from the front.
If you’d like to hide the wire from the string lights simply drill a small hole in an area behind the string (before you start stringing) and feed the wire through the hole. You can still tape the battery pack to the back, and your wire will be completely hidden.
How do you make the string art stand upright?
The board was thick enough that our string art stood up on its own. However, there were times that it would slide down, so we leaned it against something to keep it upright.
If you want to make an easy stand, cut two small pieces of dowel to be about 3 inches long. Then drill two holes near the bottom of the board, about 1/4 inch into the board on the back side. (Just large enough to fit the dowel). Place the dowels in the holes. Then you can lean the board on the dowels to keep it from falling over.
What kind of nails should I use for this Christmas tree string art? How many do I need?
We used 18 gauge wire nails that are 3/4 inch long for this string art project. We found them in the picture hanging section of our local Home Depot. If you follow our template you’ll need exactly 52 nails, but we recommend having at least 60 on hand, just in case any get bent or broken.
We’ve used common nails in our string art before, and they work well. But we definitely prefer the look of these wire nails. They’re just a bit more delicate looking, with a smaller head.
This Christmas tree string art is such a fun holiday DIY project, and it looks so pretty on display! We love how the string lights shine through the Christmas tree “branches”, adding a touch of Christmas spirit to any room it’s placed in.
Here’s even more string art ideas:
Our book Low-Mess Crafts for Kids is loaded with 72 fun and simple craft ideas for kids! The projects are fun, easy and most importantly low-mess, so the clean up is simple!
